Electric connecter



' 24, 1935. s soN 2,025,550

ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed May 19, 1934 lnventor' Robert F. SamblesomAttorng.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 ELECTRIC CONNECTER Robert F. Sambleson,Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Application May 19, 1934, Serial No. '726,545

3 Clams.

My invention relates to electric connecters and more particularly todetachable plug connecters such as are used on electric toasters, flatirons and other electric appliances.

Heretofore, difiiculty has been encountered in the use of electricconnecters of the type above referred to because of poorly madeelectrical connections inside the connecter member which have resultedin short circuits with consequent injury to the connecter. Much of thisdifliculty has come about .because of carelessness in attempting torepair the device and improperly reassembling it. Hence, it is an objectof my invention to provide an improved electric connecter which cannotbe tampered with after it has been connected to an electric cord.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved electricconnecter which will be more rugged and durable.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an electric connecter ofthe type indicated which may be easily and economically manufactured.

What I consider to be nove] and my invention will be better understoodby reference to the i following specication and appended claims whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1is a perspective view of an electric connecter embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is a plan View with the insulating casing shown in section; Fig.3 is an exploded View of the connecter shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig.4: is a perspective View of the terminal assembly prior to its insertionin the body member.

Referring to the drawing, indicates a body member of insulatingmaterial. As best shown in Fig. 2 the member !0 is a unita'y blockhaving a large chamber !I open at one end and communicating with asmaller opening !2 at the other end. Insulating members !3 and !4 aremounted in face engagement in the chamber l The walls of the chamber imay be provided with grooves. as shown in Fig. 1 to receive the members!3 and !4 and prevent lateral movement thereof. Insulating member !3 and!4 are provided with lateral projections !5 and !6 respectively. Iprefer to provide these lateral projections with upstanding lugs !lwhich engage the holes !B in terminal contacts !9. When the terminalassembly is completed as shown in Fig. 4 the terminal contacts !9 areheld between the lateral projections !5 and !6 of insulating members !3and l respectively. In order to prevent lateral movement of the terminalcontacts,

projections 20 may be provided on the terminal contacts which engageshoulders 2! on the insulating members. i

Terminal contacts !9 are connected to wires 22 and 23 of conductor cord24. The conductor 5 cord 24 is preferably provided with a strainreliever 25 which may be formed of rubber or other flexible insulatingmaterial .molded directly around the end of the cord, the wires 22 and23 projecting beyond it. Thus the strain reliever is, in substance, anintegral part of the cord. The strain reliever 25 surrounds a portion ofthe conductor cord 24 adjacent its end and exmnds beyond the point atwhich it leaves the opening !2 of body member !0 thus preventing frayingof the insulating covering of the cord through friction with the bodymember. The strain reliever 25 is provided with an enlargement 26 whichis so shaped as to fit snugly against the interior wall of chamber!I'adjacent opening !2. Enlargement 26 is also provided with anindentation 2'! into which the ends of insulating V members !3 and !4fit in order to hold the strain reliever firmly in place.

A U-shaped spring 28 with laterally projecting 25 ends 29 is carried bythe insulating members !3 and !4. These insulating members are providedwith registering grooves 30 adjacent holes 3!. The spring 28 is placedin the registering grooves 3!! with the ends 29 projecting through 30holes 3 Notches 32 are provided in the opposite walls of chamber l!extending from opening !2 and forming shoulders 33 for engagement withthe ends 29 of spring 28.

In assembling the connecter member described 35 above the terminalcontacts !9 are attached to wires 22 and 23 of cord 24. Spring 28 isplaced between insulating members !3 and !4 in the grooves 33 with itsends 29 projecting through holes 3!. The terminal contacts !9 areclamped between projections !5 and !E of insulating members !3 and !3.The assembly is completely while the end of cord 2 4 extends from thelarge opening of chamber The cord 24 is then pulled back through thechamber and the entire terminal assembly slipped into the body member!3, spring member 28 being compressed by engagement with the walls ofchamber !L When the terminal assembly reaches its proper position theends of spring 28 snap into notches 32 in engagement with shoulders 33in the interior chamber so that the terminal assembly is firmly lockedin place. The terminal contacts !9 are firmly clamped in place by theinsulating members !3 and l which are mounted in the body member 10 asdescribed above. The insulating members !3 and M when in their finalposition press firmly against notch z in enlargement 26 so that it isheld rigidly in place, all possible strain on the connections beingobviated. When the connecter is thus assembled it cannot be againdisassembled without destroying the body member o since the lookingmeans, namely spring 28, is entirely enclosed within the body member. Itwill thus be seen that I have provided an electric connecter which isrelatively easy to manufacture and assemble, in which the parts areadequately protected from strain and injury and which when assembledform a complete non-tamperable unit.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form inaccordance with the patent statutes, it should be understood that I donot limit my invention thereto since various modifications thereof willsuggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departirg from'the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theannexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. An electric connecter comprising a body member of insulating materialhaving an opening in one end thereof for the insertion'of a conductorcord, a pair of insulating members mounted in said body member, aplurality of terminal Contacts clamped between said pair of insulatingmembers, and a compressible spring member carried by said pair ofinsulatng members and adapted to engage opposite interior walls of saidbody member.

2. An electric connecter comprising a. body member of insulatingmaterial having an open- 5 ing in one end thereof for the insertion of aconductor cord, a pair of insulating members Secured in face engagementin the center of said body member and divid'ing the latter into aplurality of parallel recesses, a terminal contact mcunted in each ofsaid recesses and lateral projections on said pair of insulating membersadapted to clamp said terminal members therebetween.

3. An electric connecter comprising a body member of insulating materialhaving an opening in one end thereof for the insertion of a conductorcord, a pair of insulating members mounted in ;face engagement in thecenter of said body member and dividing the latter into a plurality ofparallel recesses, a terminal contact mounted in each of said recesses,lateral projections on said pair of insulating members adapted to clampsaid terminal members therebetween, notches on opposite interier wallsof said body member, spring means provided with outwardly projectingends carried by said pair of insulating members. said outwardlyprojecting ends engaging shoulders formed by said notches to hold saidpair of insulating members in place.

ROBERT F. SAMBLESON.

